Art of the Apology |
In The Know
by Michael McCullough
When chief medical officer André Corriveau took the blame for Alberta Health Services’ botched deployment of the H1N1 vaccine on Nov. 2, it only invited snickers from a public that saw him as the fall guy for incompetent superiors. So should organizations simply shut up and never admit their faults? Quite the contrary; an effective apology, backed up by decisive action, can go a long way to rebuilding trust, as illustrated by Maple Leaf Foods CEO Michael McCain’s high-profile apology for the deadly listeria outbreak at a company processing plant in 2008.
A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, describes trust as the foundation of leadership. An essential component of trust is vulnerability; nobody trusts the infallible tyrant. It’s important then for anyone in a position of authority to routinely apologize when their actions negatively affect employees or customers, even the little things. Make it specific. Say “I’m sorry for missing your deadline,” not a generalized excuse like “I’m terrible with deadlines.”
WHO SHOULD APOLOGIZE
“The buck stops with the leader,” says Calgary executive coach Eric Crowell of Awesome Journey Inc. So if it’s an internal matter, it should be the team leader who takes responsibility. If it’s to the general public, the CEO. Or in a case such as Alberta Health Services, where the judgment calls are made by political masters, they need to demonstrate their accountability.
WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY
Tattoo it on your hand if you have to: no story. Do not spend time explaining why the mistake happened. Instead take full responsibility – “I dropped the ball” – and outline the steps you’re taking to rectify the situation. Make it brief. Then ensure that the necessary lines of communication are in place between you and the department or individuals closest to the problem so you know what’s going on.
REMEDIAL ACTION
An apology without meaningful change will quickly be viewed as hollow and further undermine what trust you still have with your audience, so you have to follow through and be seen to be following through, says Tania Corbett, Western Canada director for SPB Organizational Psychology. Even though the situation’s unlikely to arise again, the Calgary Flames needed to show they had done something to ensure players would never again jump a public vaccination queue. It wasn’t an apology, Crowell notes, but U.S. President Barack Obama outlined a plan for his first 100 days in office, then publicly reviewed what had been accomplished. That demonstration of accountability persuaded institutional investors skeptical of his leadership to dive back into the stock markets come spring.
